Just as Kevin was grinding his teeth, a crisp sound of "clack clack" came from the battleship's medical bay.
With his fingers continuously typing on the keyboard, Ryan didn't know what he was writing after his mind went blank.
The plot seemed to automatically emerge. After most people had retreated to the World Bubble, it was impossible to go online. To be honest, he didn't know who he was writing for now.
The '1' on the number of reads was a bit dazzling. There was only one person left spamming the comments, making him scratch his chin helplessly.
"I've really failed, haven't I? And this Elysia, is she really unaware or is she pretending? Why is she still going crazy in the comments?"
Since becoming vigilant, Ryan had restrained himself. He didn't write anything lewd, and he focused on pushing the plot. Now he had even pushed to the Twelfth Apostle. As a result, the only comments left were:
[I want lewd stuff, I want detailed descriptions]
[Main plot is so boring, can't we have some romance to slow down the pace?]
[Did you really get together with Griseo? The moderator isn't here, why don't you write another two thousand words?]
So annoying. When I write lewd stuff, you say it's filler. When I write the main plot, you want lewd stuff again. Don't you guess why I'm pushing the plot forward?
Ryan frowned, then took out his phone and took a photo of all these hungry comments, thinking to himself that if he was going to die from social embarrassment, they would die together. No one would get away with it.
"I have to finish it quickly, otherwise I'll be a eunuch if I die. Even if I'm killed by a Herrscher, I don't want to be a eunuch."
Ryan had an obsession. The Finality represented not only the Herrscher, but also his obsession.
He replied with a casual [Next time for sure] and then put down his laptop, propping up his chin and looking at the person in front of him.
In the spacious ward, there were three beds, where Mobius, Sakura, and Hua were lying. Pardofelis was also here at first, but Ryan exposed her 'pretending to be unconscious because it's too embarrassing. If you don't wake up, I'll give you a full body check', so she left dejectedly.
All three were seriously injured. The human collapse was a dangerous power, and being desperately squeezed for potential was no different from suicide. Fortunately, they brought the lucky cat this time, and everyone's luck was very good.
Looking at the three sleeping beauties, his thoughts uncontrollably spread again.
One foreshadowing showed its effect, and the other one, I don't know if it can be of use. Just as Mei was worried, I really don't have many brain cells left to outsmart the Honkai. At least, it's better to just give it a good stab when I'm ready.
Fortunately, the authority of Binding is a BUG on the imaginary side. At least in my cognition, there is no authority above it. Even 'Destiny' is an auxiliary authority if it can't affect me, it's not like it can just write me to death like in Death Note.
High risk, high reward. Even if I put myself in its shoes, Ryan can't think of more tricks the Honkai can play at the 'Herrscher' level. At most, it would be to increase output and indirectly strengthen power.
So is it possible to take a route other than the Herrscher? After all, failure won't grant me the authority like a Meituan delivery driver. But no matter what method it has, the effect will not be significant as long as it's still on the imaginary side.
Its biggest advantage is its absolute safety. Without a qualitative change, it can't attack the core of Finality's Cocoon itself. But it can be like an experiment, continuously trying and continuously bringing down crises.
A hundred years, a thousand years, a hundred times, a thousand times. The point is to not kill you, but to disgust you to death.
Even someone as capable as Mei can make mistakes, and I can't be flawless every time.
"Commander, you should go back and rest. We can watch over them."
At this time, Sene walked in with a mask. Manpower was tight now, so even a physicist like him came to help.
Ryan, who was feeling a bit sick, frowned and waved his finger: "It's fine. I didn't consume too much power myself. You don't have to worry about my energy, and I can also help with some biological aspects."
Seeing Ryan say this, Sene didn't dare to say more, thinking to himself, 'The Commander is really devoted', and then he felt it was strange.
It's true that he's devoted, but isn't this a bit too much?
He looked at the three girls lined up on the beds, scratched his head, and decided to go gossip with his good friend Elvin.
Ryan didn't care what others thought. The so-called watching over them was just an excuse to escape. He had solved the most troublesome problem, and now it was Mei's turn to preside over the big picture.
The remaining people still had to be evacuated. However, many people had been scared out of their wits by the Herrscher of Binding, so they had to rely on Aponia and Eden to do the psychological work. There were also many relay points that had been wiped out, and a large number of ships had sunk. These all had to be solved one by one.
Oh, and there was also the survival problem in the World Bubble, how to make the Fire Moth warriors feel at ease in the rear, and most importantly—
Ryan picked up the file next to him. It recorded the changes in the Honkai energy concentration on Earth, and the line had become very stable.
"A turning point. It seems that after crossing the Herrscher of Binding, the crazy increase has slowed down. Is this because the Cocoon of Finality chose to give up?"
Ryan said something he didn't even believe himself. When things go against the norm, there must be a problem. How does the saying go?
Biden is clenching his fist, preparing for something big?
"It seems the Cocoon also knows that I'm not afraid of the remaining two Herrschers. To bring down three or four Herrschers in a short year like before would no longer work on me. So the Herrscher of Binding went the route of crushing quality, and was still killed by me."
Ryan rubbed his face. If he were in its place, he couldn't think of a solution either. Besides bringing down Finality, the only option left was to accumulate power and have a big wave. But how long would that take?
He couldn't figure it out. At least from Ryan's perspective, he wished the Cocoon of Finality would bring down dozens of Herrschers, which would weaken the Cocoon and fatten him up.
Beep, beep, beep.
The sound of the heart monitor changed. Ryan looked up and found that he was thinking so intently that he didn't notice that Sakura had already woken up. The assassin sat up silently, covering her face with a bit of a daze.
"Sakura, you should rest now."
"It's okay, I've recovered." Sakura turned her head, looked at Ryan in front of the bed and smiled slightly, then looked at the two beds next to her. "How are Mobius and Hua? Did anyone, anyone not make it back?"
"The situation is relatively stable. The people who were killed in this battle are Zheng and Isha. As for the others, after the Herrscher was defeated, the binding no longer works. It will take some time for the disabled limbs to recover."
"Is that so? That's unfortunate but also a great fortune." Sakura mumbled quietly, feeling a little fortunate that she didn't know the people who were killed. Then she felt that there was nothing to be fortunate about. She herself had been to the gates of hell and back several times.
"Including the previous Yun, this is an unprecedented loss. But without you, the losses would have been several times greater. No, I should say the Fire Moth might have been completely wiped out."
Sakura didn't have any intention of flattering him, she was just stating the facts. Ryan also thought about it and nodded seriously.
The Herrschers now were not the same as the Herrschers in the previous civilization. The buffs were much crazier. In the original worldline, Kevin bore the sin and destroyed the Herrscher of Binding along with his allies. This time, he was almost fished.
And the Herrscher of Binding no longer mindlessly crushed with her domain. The seamless switching, the condensed authority, and the lethality were more powerful than all the previous Herrschers combined.
But then again, without him, the Herrschers wouldn't have gathered together. For example, that Sixth Herrscher, who had been lying low for almost two years, still hadn't died.
"I just did what I had to do." Ryan lowered his head, feeling that he didn't need to be proud.
"Me too. But I thought a lot when I was bound, and I found that I wasn't as fearless as I imagined." Sakura raised her hand and placed it on her left chest. "This heart still has distracting thoughts. The fantasized calm death turned into a kind of struggle. When I was being flattened inch by inch, the instinct to survive was never so strong."
Ryan didn't speak, just quietly listened to the girl's words, because he also used all his strength when facing the Herrscher of Binding.
"You can't die. Rin is still waiting for you in the World Bubble. When you think of her, of course you'll have an instinct to survive."
"It's not just her, it's you too." Sakura looked at Ryan, her gaze focused and showing no intention of moving away. "This feeling is very strange. On one hand, I want to be a sword, to open a path for you even if I'm shattered to pieces. On the other hand, I'm really unwilling, because if I die, there will be nothing left. Do you know? I feel a kind of jealousy towards the people who are alive."
Staring into the girl's eyes, seeing her narrow fox ears twitching slightly, Ryan was not surprised. Sakura was never the type to be tough-mouthed, she would only express her feelings with the simplest language.
He subconsciously glanced at the other two beds and showed a gentle smile: "I never saw you as a sword, and I don't need you to be shattered to pieces. You won't die, and there is no longer any kind of favor between you and me. I want to protect you all with all my strength, that's all."
It was a bit overbearing, but in a way, it was extremely gentle, because a man should stand at the very front and bear the pressure of the entire world.
He used both hands to hold up the collapsing sky, and both feet to step on the cracking earth, blocking the most violent storms.
He said so, and he did so.
The purple pupils slowly contracted. The girl on the bed suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the man's neck and opening her lips next to his ear.
"I have always believed that, just like this moment."
Ryan's body stiffened slightly. Sakura wasn't wearing anything. After a moment, he raised his hand and stroked the girl's smooth back, as if stroking a valuable silk.
In his arms, the usually cold assassin was warm, and she was still warming up, soft and boneless.
His hand slowly moved up, grabbing the girl's delicate shoulders, and then—
Cough cough cough, cough cough cough cough.
A violent coughing sound came. The two people who were hugging each other were startled at the same time. They looked at the bed next to them. Someone seemed to be out of breath and was coughing wildly, but her eyes were tightly closed, and she was just coughing and not waking up.
There's no way she's not awake. It's a miracle she could hold on until now.
Everything in the ward was under Ryan's control, including the heartbeats and breathing. Not only was Mobius awake, but Hua had also woken up a long time ago. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her eyelashes were fluttering.
"It seems a bit inappropriate?"
"Yeah, it's a miracle Mobius could hold on until now."
"You did that on purpose?"
"You guess."
Ryan and Sakura looked at each other and read the information in each other's eyes. Ryan lamented that 'Forget-me-not' could also be mischievous. As a pure love warrior, it was a bit inappropriate to do something like this in front of others. On the other hand, Sakura's psychological quality was really strong. She actually went back to sleep without her face turning red.
Hey, you just confessed in front of Mobius and Hua. Can't you be a little more shy? And the one outside the door, if you're going to visit, come in quickly. Why are you eavesdropping?
Ryan was a little annoyed at his keen perception. It really ruined the atmosphere. He reached out and pressed down on a certain green-colored head next to him.
"If you're awake, get up. You've been coughing for a long time, but I haven't seen you spit blood."
"Do you believe me if I spit a mouthful on you?" Mobius opened her eyes, her snake pupils filled with a man-eating gaze.
This bastard actually dared to have a secret affair next to me. No, it's so blatant that it doesn't count as a secret affair, does it? I see, he's provoking me. Why didn't I jump into the middle of the two bastards just now? To give them a benevolent smile?
"I died again. You heartless guy, you don't even care about me."
Who told you to wake up later and pretend to be asleep? Am I, a straightforward gentleman, afraid of your probing?
Ryan complained in his heart, looking directly into the pair of snake pupils. He knew that what he said would lead to a terrible death, so he carefully looked at Mobius, who was curled up in the blanket. At this sight, his eyebrows furrowed.
Hmm, her chest seems to have gotten a little smaller?
In terms of broadness of mind, Mobius in her prime could rank in the top three. The whole person looked more like a mature woman of about thirty. But after dying a few times, Ryan found that she had indeed become a bit younger.
Had she regressed to twenty-five or twenty-six? Fortunately, her temperament didn't disappear. Instead, she had a 'little kid' kind of contrast after getting a bit younger.
"Why are you staring at me?" Mobius was full of suspicion, feeling that Ryan's expression wasn't for a good reason.
"Nothing, I was just wondering if you're wearing clothes."
"Of course I am. I'm not like a vixen, so shameless!"
"Dr. Mobius, let me make it clear, I haven't provoked you." Sakura looked over coldly. She had a lot of nicknames. Sometimes she was a rabbit, sometimes a fox, and sometimes a donkey. Can these people unify a name?
"You dare to say you haven't provoked me?"
"Of course. Before you and Ryan step into the hall of marriage, I have no moral burden. I've also heard of the things you've done, so you have no right to accuse me."
Mobius's eyebrows twitched. She had known that Sakura was difficult to deal with, but she never thought she would be so formidable.
The vixen is even more formidable than the wooden stake. She is really direct, and a bit aggressive. As for you, why are you laughing on the side?
"Heh, have you asked Ryan? How can you be so sure?"
Hey, hey, hey, I'm just watching the show and I'm getting shot at.
Ryan gritted his teeth, thinking that Mobius was really shameless to bring him out to block bullets. But before he could speak, Sakura shook her head first.
"You don't need to ask about this. I know very well what kind of person you are. Also, if you want to calculate this way, Elysia can rank ahead of you. You deleted that photo very thoroughly, but it still left traces. The Internet has a memory."
Everyone brought out a shield. Obviously, Sakura's shield was more effective. Mobius was stunned, and her breathing suddenly became rapid. The most troublesome thing was actually seen by her.
No, I can't show that I care. This vixen has strong observational skills.
"It's fake. You think I care?"
"You really don't care?" Sakura raised an eyebrow and saw Mobius turn her face away.
"Of course. This kind of fake thing can be taken as many times as you want. Ryan, make some time to take a set of photos with me. Let's see who will still show off with this kind of useless thing."
What does it have to do with me? That time was a complete coincidence.
Ryan rolled his eyes, about to refuse, when he saw Mobius's man-eating eyes, as if saying, 'If you make me lose face now, I'll be done with you'.
He's truly the lowest-level creature in the food chain. He even has to bring me along to deal with Sakura.
For Mobius's sake, Ryan nodded gently, which could also be considered a reward for her performance during this recent period.
"Hehe, see? Your composure will soon be useless. I already said it's just a set of photos, it has no practical meaning at all." Mobius sat up, raised her chin, and gently played with her long hair.
"I see. From Ryan's attitude, this is indeed nothing to worry about." Sakura seemed to be deep in thought and also looked at Ryan. "Commander, since it's an artistic photo, let's take one together. Since it's a fake thing, it doesn't matter if we have more."
"And me!" The unconscious Fu Hua suddenly woke up, as if doing a sit-up.
Mobius was dumbfounded. She was a little smug just now, and then she found that she had actually fallen into a trap. Now she couldn't even refute it.
You said it was fake, so if you can do it, why can't we? Besides, you were the one who said a set of photos can't represent anything. If she opposes it now, wouldn't Elysia's thing become real?
If Elysia is real, then what am I?
I really dug a hole for myself and fell into a logical trap. My state is too bad. I should have slept more.
Ryan shook his head helplessly. Mobius stayed in the lab all day and was a homebody. Her mouth was tough. She was good at research, but her emotional intelligence was really not good.
By the way, Sakura is a bit formidable. She so effortlessly achieved her goal using Mobius's words. As expected of 'Forget-me-not'.
Grasping people's hearts is an assassin's instinct. He looked at the pair of snake pupils, and could only spread his hands, indicating that he was powerless. This kind of thing is either true or fake. You guys decide for yourselves.
Mobius had no help, so she just stiffened her head: "No, you guys are stealing my idea!"
"Idea? This idea should be Elysia's, right? Everyone has cherished memories. If you want to replicate it, then everyone can." A shallow smile appeared at the corner of Sakura's mouth. She suddenly found a hint of pleasure in teasing Mobius.
"No, this kind of thing is enough once. At most, twice."
"Okay, I also agree to two times. But the key is, who will take on this second time? And who can be truly convinced?" Sakura's one sentence made Mobius speechless. She then slowed down her speech, "Dr. Mobius, you are a reasonable person. Please try to convince me. Of course, if you are not reasonable, I don't mind."
Elysia was the first time. If it was twice, there would only be one time left. Who would be convinced? Didn't you see Hua's expression of not giving up and fighting to the death?
It was reasonable and well-founded, making Mobius speechless. She did want to say that she would bear it, but the wooden stake next to her must have been bribed. The chances of winning a head-on challenge against these two were extremely low, and that bastard still had the look of watching a show.
After thinking about it, she decided to solve the problem at the source. As long as she kept Ryan busy, the two of them would not have a chance.
The snake pupils suddenly became sharp. Ryan felt that something was wrong. She must be planning to ruin my good things. He simply made a shushing gesture and silently went to the door to unlock the automatic door.
Beep.
The automatic door opened immediately, and a pink figure rolled in directly. Elysia was sitting on the ground with a fruit basket. When she looked up, four pairs of eyes were staring at her.
"Look, the patent owner just happens to be here. Why don't you ask her?"
Elysia was listening excitedly outside the door. She was pulled into the center of the vortex by Ryan without paying attention. She pouted and squinted at the man who was looking at the scenery next to her.
"Ryan, you are so despicable."
"Heh, the person who eavesdrops for fun has no right to call me that. With your big mouth, I can guarantee that within half an hour, it will be in Mei's ears."
"No way, I'll only tell Eden at most." Elysia said in a low voice, making Ryan's eyes widen.
You're really going to say it!
"Oh, why is everyone looking at me? I won't mind." Elysia patted the dust off her skirt, stood up with the fruit basket, even though the oranges inside had already been eaten.
"You really don't mind?" Sakura's eyes were filled with suspicion.
This time, Elysia paused for a moment, as if thinking seriously, and then she smiled and said: "Happiness is more wonderful when shared. Haven't I always been like this?"
This thing, can it be shared? And she really doesn't seem angry?
Hua thought to herself that this must be a goddess. After another thought, the Herrscher of Human was probably a goddess. Everyone wasn't blind and felt that Elysia had also quietly changed. Although she loved everyone, that absolute equal share had already changed.
"I especially love Ryan, and of course, I love you all very, very much. So why should I stop everyone?"
Elysia seemed a bit confused. But Ryan seemed to see a 'Santa Claus' in a red hat raising his hands and clenching his fists tightly.
I want them all!
Hiss, her brain circuit is indeed different from a normal person's. I feel like I've profited?
Putting aside Ryan's self-doubt, the three people on the beds looked at each other. No one could understand Elysia's brain circuit, but this kind of aura was truly shocking.
"Elysia, you are the original creator. Dr. Mobius said at most twice. You decide who will be chosen." Hua was indeed a stubborn person. Sakura didn't even have time to cover her mouth.
She so easily agreed to Mobius's plan, and even threw the problem to Elysia. If she was an office worker, she would definitely die a terrible death.
"You really want me to decide?" Elysia didn't feel annoyed. Instead, she puffed out her chest, as if she had received great power. She clapped her hands, "How about we pick a good day and everyone takes a photo together? It's more lively with more people."
This kind of thing can't have many people!
Not to mention the three people on the beds, even Ryan was stunned. She's a master of mediation, isn't she? Of course he knew that the artistic photo was just an excuse. Why didn't he see Sakura just find anyone to take a photo with?
This was a declaration of sovereignty, accompanied by a fierce confrontation. Originally, none of these three would have been convinced. But this problem was something Ryan couldn't solve. No matter how he chose, it would be a deadly question. And now, she just solved it?
He looked at Elysia. Because of the angle, he could only see her side profile, but he found that she was as bright as the rising sun, with sunlight spilling over the sea. Her excitement was beyond words.
Noticing Ryan's gaze, she secretly squeezed her eyes and gave a thumbs up behind her back.
So this wasn't mediation, she was a gold-medal wingman.
...
"I heard Elysia went to visit them?"
At the stern of the ship, Aponia and Eden walked down the transport plane shoulder to shoulder. The work of comforting people had been completed, and the Wandering Human Plan was continuing to advance, and it was almost at the final step.
"Tch, how would I know!" Kalpas was wrapped up like a mummy and spat unhappily.
He and Su were also injured, but only Kevin came to visit. They were a bunch of bastards who favored girls over friends.
"Kalpas, are you jealous?"
"Aponia, if you want to die, just keep talking. How could I be jealous of this boring game of house?" Kalpas's eyes were cold. Just as he raised his fist, the girl next to him jumped up and grabbed his hand.
"Captain, Dr. Klein said you can't use Honkai energy. It will cause genetic collapse!"
Kalpas could have easily thrown Ludicyna away, but he didn't do so. He was just slightly stunned and roared unhappily: "Get lost! I told you not to bother with me!"
Ludicyna had been with him all day recently, either helping him change his medicine or sitting by his bed peeling apples. She was really annoying.
The girl wasn't afraid of being yelled at and shook her head with some stubbornness: "That's not okay. As the vice-captain, it's my responsibility to keep an eye on you."
"Damn it, I never agreed to be a captain!"
"But in fact, you are. Okay, okay, come with me to change the medicine. The bandage is all stained red." The white-haired girl stroked the blood-stained muscles and dragged him away without question. After a few steps, she quickly came back and bowed to Aponia and Eden to apologize, then chased after him.
"Let go of me. This kind of injury is no problem for me."
"Okay, okay. Don't be as willful as a child. When you're sick, you have to get treated."
"Who are you calling a child!!"
The shouting gradually faded away, but Eden and Aponia looked at each other and smiled, knowing that if Kalpas really resisted, Ludicyna wouldn't be able to stop him at all.
"Kalpas is still so tough-mouthed, but his body is very honest."
"There's nothing to be done. He longs for a warm home more than anyone else. He seems irritable, but he is actually very gentle." Aponia, as an old friend, answered indifferently, her gentle eyes filled with relief.
This kind of look was enough to make Kalpas go wild, but this was her true thought.
"Loss and gain always go hand in hand, making people forget the pain of the past. I recently heard an interesting story that you might be interested in." Aponia lowered her voice and whispered in Eden's ear.
The singer's face was initially filled with a shallow smile, but as she listened, her eyes lit up.
"Judging by the style, it should be Elysia's suggestion?"
"Yeah, I guess she couldn't hold back. She'll tell you sooner or later. What do you think? Are you interested in getting involved?"
Eden hesitated for a moment, and then her shallow smile became elegant.
"I'll consider it."